(So, I worked on this chapter for a whole month and I'm still not happy with it, but I didn't want you Readers to have to wait for it any longer, so I'm releasing it for you. Maybe when I finally figure out what it is to make this chapter satisfactory, I'll rewrite it and let you Readers know when it happens so you can read it in its proper state.)

[Song Suggestions for Chapter 16 {Don't forget to look for the spotify playlist if you want to listen as you read along}]

~ 'Sneaky Snitch' by Kevin MacLeod (when Halvi catches Lydia sneaking about)

~ 'You Got Me Runnin' by Def Leppard (when Peter's training)

~ 'Only You' by Yaz (when Lydia's teaching Peter and the Ravagers how to dance)

~ 'I Don't Dance' by Lee Brice (This song – dear Lord in Heaven above! This song is perfect for this scene. If this were a scene on a TV show, I can just hear how the song "Only You" would slowly fade as Yondu and Lydia dance as if it's still playing, but then this song starts and it's Yondu's inner thoughts. Leave me alone while I lose my mind with how perfect it would have been on screen!)

~ 'Night Like This' by LP (festival song; I completely forgot about the 'stars are falling' lyrics when I came up with the name of the festival. The whistling makes me think of Yondu guiding his arrow.)

~ 'Shut Up and Dance' by Walk the Moon (festival song)

~ 'May I Have This Dance' by Francis and the Lights (Lydia and Yondu at the festival)

Chapter Sixteen

I Don't Dance, But Here I Am

Terran Date: August 29th, 1989

When Halvi spotted Lydia sneaking down the corridor he knew something was up. Something was always up when Lydia "sneaked", and it usually ended with the captain having a conniption fit. Seeing as how it had been fifteen day-cycles since the crew's big score with the Collector and the captain had been in a good mood since then, Halvi didn't want to risk breaking their streak. So, he decided to investigate Lydia's odd behavior for himself instead of getting the captain involved.

Halvi lingered back as he followed Lydia down the corridor, taking note how she avoided making eye contact and didn't respond to any fellow crewmates greetings, which was another red flag. When Lydia paused in front of the closed Med Bay doors, Halvi's curious suspicion turned to immediate concern. He scrapped his original plan to remain hidden and approached her while her back was to him.

Seeing that the doors were locked, Lydia's shoulder's slumped and she turned to leave, only to let out a strangled squeal of surprise when she saw Halvi standing right behind her. "Sup, Lydia?" he greeted, white teeth gleaming as he grinned at her startlement.

"Geeth, Halfi, youth scare' meh," Lydia slurred angrily, pressing a hand over her heart.

Halvi's brows rose. "Say again?"

Lydia, realizing that she'd let herself slip, clamped her mouth shut and shook her head. "Oh, come ooon," Halvi coaxed, bending down, hands on his knees, to look her in the eye. "What's up?"

Lydia pouted for a few seconds but rolled her eyes with a sigh and looked every which way to make sure no one else was around before facing him again. "I wathz werking on ma spear to ad'ust the electwick tock on ma twident and I axthodentaey tocked ma moth. An' now ma tongue isz numb."

Halvi stood there, praying to any higher power out in the universe to give him the strength to resist laughing in Lydia's poor, miserably embarrassed face. Apparently, all the higher powers out there were busy. Halvi's booming laughter echoed throughout the corridor. "Tut up!" Lydia whined, looking as if she wanted to hit him. It only made him laugh harder.

"Forgive me, Lydia, I just –," he dissolved into more laughter.

Lydia sighed and jabbed a thumb at the Med Bay doors behind her. "Werthz duck?"

"Probably gone to get his lunch from Mess Hall."

Lydia groaned. "I can' let Petur hear me lick dis. He won' li'den to a word I tay!"

Halvi grinned broadly. "Say Peter again."

Lydia flipped him off.

"Halvi, what you done to make Brosh flip you off?"

Lydia went perfectly still as her eyes widened in horror. Apparently, there was one other person besides Peter who she absolutely did not want to have hear her speak and he and his first mate were approaching.

Halvi saluted. "Captain." His eyes went to the black stained cloth wrapped around Udonta's right hand. "Everything alright, sir?"

Udonta uncovered his hand to reveal a long, deep slash on his palm that was weeping black blood. "Didn't wear gloves like a dead-gum fool while I was sharpening the grapple hooks on my M-ship. Where's Prezor?"

"He usually takes his meal at this time, I think," Halvi answered. He noticed Lydia subtly inching her way to stand behind him, attempting to let her presence be forgotten.

"Been waitin' long?" the captain asked, readjusting the wrap on his wound.

"Not too long. Not sure how long he's been gone, though."

"Damn," Udonta muttered. "Well, wha'chu here for?"

"Oh, I'm not here for me, I'm –," Halvi felt an elbow jab his lower back in warning. "I'm here to get some decongestant for Brum."

"Brum can get his own damn medicine instead of sending you."

"I don't mind."

"Well, I do. You got jobs to do an' he got you waistin' your time fer a stuffy nose that ain't even yer own –," without breaking stride, Udonta's eyes went to the freckled elbow that hadn't quite managed to hide behind Halvi and pointed at it with his uninjured hand. "What did you do?"

Lydia cringed before poking her head around Halvi's back. She lifted her eyebrows innocently. Halvi couldn't wait to see how this played out.


Yondu had known his fair share of women. Enough to know that any male who said women were all the same didn't know his knee from his elbow. Yondu knew females were different from each other, but they did seem to fall under different categories and if he met a woman who fell under one of those categories then he could usually know what to expect from that type. The Shy ones preferred quiet things, the Thrill-Seekers wanted excitement, the Greedy ones liked shiny gifts, and so on.

Now that didn't mean a woman only fell under one of those categories. She could be two or three combined. Lydia happened to fall under a couple of categories herself. Playful, Stubborn, Innocent, and Trouble-Magnet. When you had a Playful woman, who loved making wise-cracks at anything he said, suddenly go quiet and attempt to make herself disappear, her other category suddenly presented itself; Trouble-Magnet.

"Don't be givin' me those eyes, woman. What did you do?"

Again, Lydia feigned her Innocent side. Shrugging her shoulders and giving him a bewildered look. He wasn't buying it. "You ain't said a word to me yet an' yer tryin' to hide behind Halvi."

Lydia pressed her lips together. Yondu felt himself getting irritated. "Woman, if you don't speak up, I'm liable to do somethin' you ain't gonna like." Lydia folded her arms and glared at him challengingly. Her Stubborn side rearing its head. "Well, I warned ya." He held out his left hand. "Hand over the spear."

Lydia shied away, placing a hand over the pommel clipped to her belt. "Youz can' do dat!"

Yondu blinked. He and Kraglin exchanged a glance then looked back at her. "What's that?" he asked. Lydia looked at Halvi, as if begging him to help her out, but the darkness dweller appeared to be finding the situation too amusing to intervene. "I'm not sure I heard ya right, darlin'. What did you say?" The captain asked again.

The girl looked about ready to run. And she did. Unfortunately for her, Yondu stretched out his arm as she attempted to zip by him and snagged her round the waist. He pulled her back towards him. "Hold up, girl! What's got you in such a tizzy?"

"Le' ma go!"

Yondu looked at Kraglin over Lydia's head. "She sound a bit funny to you?" Kraglin nodded. Yondu hauled Lydia over to the bench built into the wall just beside the Med Bay doors and forced her to sit. "What's wrong with you?" Lydia tried to stand, Yondu pushed her down on the bench and stood practically on top of her, legs pressed against her knees, to prevent her from trying again. She glared up at him as he towered over her. "Girl, don't make me ask again."

"Fine! I got ma tongue tocked and now iz numb. Ya happa?!"

The first snort of escaped laughter came from Kraglin, who hurriedly clamped a hand over his nose and mouth, but more muffled snorts followed. Halvi sniggered. Then Yondu began to laugh so hard that tears filled his eyes. Lydia scowled at them all. "Ya' are widdicku'ous."

Yondu reached into his pocket and brought out a piece of butterscotch candy that Quill had given him to try. He'd made the mistake of telling the boy that he'd liked it and now he kept finding the little treats in his jacket pockets, on his captain's chair, outside of his quarters, etc.

"Brosh –," he paused to compose himself as best he could, but the gigantic toothy grin on his face never went away, "Brosh, honey, I'll give ya this candy if ya say, 'ridiculous,' again."

"Heck, give her two of those candies and make her say something else funny!" Kraglin suggested.

"You're bwibing me wi' buttahscoz?!"

Kraglin began laughing so hard that he was doubled over and looked likely to collapse at any second. Lydia narrowed her eyes at him. "Kwagwin!" The first mate let out a wheeze of air and toppled onto the floor, clutching his side. Turning on her heel, Lydia stomped off. "Ya' are toe mean!"

"Hey!" Yondu called out, fighting back laughter. "Hey, wait a minute, darlin'!" He hurried after her. "Darlin', wait a minute!"

"No, Yawnduh!"

Hearing his name pronounced so funny positively tickled him and he couldn't help but chortle. The little darlin' apparently didn't appreciate that. She increased her walking pace and refused to look back at him as he followed her. "All right, honey," he choked back a snicker, "we've had our fun. Let's get on back to Med Bay."

"Why? Toe you guyz con muck fun of ma whi'e I wait for tuh duck?"

Yondu finally closed enough distance between them that he was able to reach out and grab hold of her shoulder. He applied some pressure and managed to get her to slow down then come to a stop. "C'mon, honey; havin' us make fun of yer funny words is better than sufferin' for the whole day."

"Duhbatabuh."

"Duhbatabuh?" he repeated.

Lydia huffed and turned around to face him. "Duh-bait-a-buh," she said slowly.

"Duhbaymahwhu?"

Lydia clenched her teeth. "DE-BATE-A-BUH."

Yondu shook his head and shrugged. "Honey, I can't understand what yer tryin' to say. Now stop throwin' a hissy-fit, put on yer big-girl britches, and get back to Med Bay." Lydia glared at him, making no move to do so. There was that Stubborn side again. Hmmm. Looks like Daddy's gonna have to teach his baby girl a lesson. Without warning, he hoisted her onto his shoulder and began to carry her back towards Med Bay.

"Hey! Yawnduh! Put ma down!"

"Nope."

"Iz ma moth dat'z not workin', Yawnduh, not ma 'egs!"

"Oh, I'm sure your mouth works just fine, baby girl." He readjusted his grip on her as her legs scissored the air. "Darlin', you quit that." He gave her butt a playful smack.

She let out a surprised yelp and swatted his back. "Hey! Top tat!"

"Pop that? Is that what you said?" Yondu asked with a teasing grin. He knew good and well what she'd really said, but he was having too much fun messing with her. "Why, you dirty girl." He laughed as she began to squirm and yell at him, but of course it all came out sounding so funny that by the time they got back to Med Bay, Yondu's was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe, and his knees gave out. He lost his grip on Lydia and they both collapsed on the floor.

Lydia fixed him with a glare. "You're dezpikabuh."

Yondu wiped the water from him eyes. "I know you're angry at me, but I can't bring myself to be much bothered by it right now."

Lydia released a weary sigh and ran a hand over her face. "D'ux ma 'ife," she muttered.


I hoped that my incident would be forgotten when the Ravagers took on another bounty job on small planet. But no. The three males still found ways to tease me about it throughout the day. Despite the quick acting medicine the Doc had given me, there were still a few words I struggled to pronounce correctly, and I worried that it might present a problem on the job. I avoided speaking via the comms-link as much as possible, but every time I stumbled over a word, Kraglin, Halvi, or Yondu would taunt me.

Luckily, this time the job was fairly easy. The mark took one look at the Ravager red garb and flame crests attached to the coats that the crew wore and turned himself in to us without a struggle. "Looks like we're havin' some good luck for once, ain't that right Kwagwin?" Yondu said, tossing me a toothy grin as he and his first mate hauled the mark away. I leveled a glare his way but only got a wink from him in response.

The bounty poster agreed to meet us on location in four days which allowed the crew to get some planet-side down time.

Because this planet was moderately out of the way of any shady smuggling operations, black markets, or traffic rings, Peter was able to spend some time off the ship with me. He was always so eager to explore any new planet we came across. Although, it did still fill me with a bit of concern at the utter lack of homesickness he felt for his own planet. It didn't strike me as normal. Discounting the brief stop to drop off my mom at the hospital, I hadn't set foot on my own planet since I was a child, but I still felt an occasional ache for it.

While we waited for the bounty poster, Yondu decided to start training Peter to be a Ravager. He didn't want to start the kid off on something that would draw too much attention to the crew before the bounty poster could arrive though. Kraglin suggested going to the markets to pick pockets, but Yondu could tell just by looking at the moderate size of the crowd that Peter would most likely get caught if only because of the lack of activity surrounding the market. Kraglin couldn't argue with that.

Another suggestion that was just as quickly shot down was that Peter could practice picking pockets on the crew. Yondu reminded him that if Peter attempted to pick the wrong crewman's pocket, the boy could easily lose his hand. By this time my speech had fully returned to normal, so I didn't hesitate to voice a suggestion of my own. "Peter needs to work on his running."

"Explain?" Yondu asked, using his silver toothpick to dig a piece of fruit seed out of his mouth.

I gestured at the marketplace. "It's the perfect obstacle course. Peter's a fast kid to begin with, but speed won't do him any favors if he can't avoid running into someone who's suddenly stepped into his path. Or what if the enemy manages to set up a blockade ahead of him? He's got to learn to be quick on his feet."

Yondu and Kraglin exchanged a glance. "She ain't wrong," Kraglin acknowledged. "If anyone gets curious 'bout what we're doin' we could claim the kid's training for a competition."

"Ain't a bad idea," Yondu agreed. He began to look up a route on his info-disk for the kid to run. "Brosh, you grew up on Knowhere. You're probably the best at this kind of running," Yondu mused aloud. I nodded to acknowledge his guesswork was correct. I'd had plenty of experience honing my skills at running through crowded streets and getting to my destination as quickly as possible despite obstacles occurring to try slowing me down.

My info-disk beeped at the same time as Kraglin, Peter and Halvi's. Yondu spoke up as I got my disk out to take a look at what the alert was. "This marketplace is constructed in the shape of a circle. We happen to be standin' in its center." He looked at Peter. "You an' Brosh are gonna race around the entirety of this circle and make it back to the center. Unlike most races though, you two ain't gonna be takin' the same path. It's up to you to find the quickest way back here. You understand me, son?"

Peter nodded quickly, eager to get started. Yondu gave a single nod back. "Well, get goin'."

Peter and I took off.

As far as crowds went, this was a cakewalk compared to the tight squeezes I'd been through back on Knowhere, when there were times that the people were so tightly packed together that you couldn't move an inch for several minutes. In order to avoid getting into that kind of traffic, I'd found shortcuts and developed my own along the way to help speed me along. A felled beam to cross between rooftops here, an unscrewed vent grate there, and so on. I didn't have any of my pre-set shortcuts here though, so I kept my eyes peeled for opportunities that came my way.


Peter's size was an advantage when it came to slipping through crowds and tight places. But he was quickly coming to realize that he couldn't rely on it all the time. Sometimes, it didn't matter what size you were; stuck was stuck. Like now, he was currently stuck near a crowded bread stall, and he was unable to squeeze through the people eager to get their freshly baked bread.

"Excuse me," he tried.

"Wait yer turn, kid," someone barked.

"I just need to get through –,"

"Yeah, like I'm gonna fall for that," they scoffed. Peter scowled and craned his neck around to observe his surroundings. He spotted a ladder lying in an alley to his right. It took some effort to squeeze his way through the few people that stood between him and the alley, but he made it and hurried over to set the ladder upright and clambered up to the roof. Once up top, he took a moment to get his bearings and grinned. He was totally going to beat Lydia if he stuck to the rooftops.

Just as he finished that thought, he caught a glimpse of Lydia, far ahead of him, leaping from one roof to the next, then scaling down a drainpipe back to the streets. Peter blinked in disbelief. How had she gotten ahead so quickly?! If he wanted to try catching up, he needed to pick up his pace and stat! Without thinking to check his footing, Peter took two running steps then promptly fell through a hole in the roof.

His fall was cushioned by landing in a heap of laundry, which caused him to roll off it and into a large vat of washing water. Sputtering and coughing, Peter latched onto the edge of the vat and hacked sudsy water until he could catch his breath. "Oh my…" a woman's voice said. Peter swiped hair out of his eyes and looked up to see two females, one an adult the other looked to be around his age, standing in shock at his arrival. They both had pink skin with purple zebra-like stripes, white hair, and amethyst eyes.

The woman cast a wary glance at the hole in the roof. "I told your father we needed to get that fixed."

"I highly recommend it," Peter agreed.

The woman expressed amused surprise at his ability to joke. "Nikita, go get some dry towels and clothes for the boy."

"Yes, Mama."

Nikita hurried off as her mother came forward and helped Peter out of the vat. "What in the stars were you doing up on our roof, child?" she asked, a hint of laughter in her voice as she helped peel the sodden jacket from his arms.

"My big sister and I were racing to see who could circle the market first."

"And that explains how you fell through our roof, how?"

"We weren't sticking to the streets. The goal was to find the fastest route. Which includes rooftops."

The woman chuckled and shook her head. Nikita came back with her arms full of fluffy white towels and a change of clothes. Her mother knelt in front of Peter, draped a towel over his head, and began to vigorously dry his hair. "I'd say your sister has probably won after this detour?" she asked.

"Probably," Peter answered ruefully.

"Anything injured… What's your name?"

"Peter. And no, nothing hurt except my pride."

Nikita and her mother shared a laugh at that. "I'm Nora. This is my daughter Nikita. Well, Peter, get dressed, eat some bread with us, and then when your clothes are dry, we'll take you to your family."

"Oh no, you don't have to –,"

"I insist." Nora said in a voice that left no room for argument. She stood to her feet and cocked her head at the sound of a tinkling bell coming from the other room. "Customer coming to pick up their laundry, no doubt. Nikita, see to it that Peter's clothes are set out to dry and fix yourselves some bread while I deal with the customers out front." Nora disappeared through a beaded curtain and left the two of them alone.

Nikita smiled shyly. "Hi."

Peter smiled back. "Hi."

There was a moment of awkward silence. "Don't you want to get out of those wet clothes?" Nikita asked curiously.

"Hm? Oh! Yeah, uh…" He waited for Nikita to excuse herself, but she didn't move. "Um…I'm gonna need some privacy."

Nikita's pink face flushed crimson. "Oh! Sorry!" She turned around and covered her eyes for good measure.

As Peter lifted his hands to remove his shirt, he paused. His stun gun was hidden beneath the long hem of his shirt, so Nora hadn't seen it when she helped him out of his jacket. Working quickly, he slipped off his holstered stun gun and hid it underneath a cluster of shirts within reach. When he finished taking off his wet clothes and dressed in the dry clothing, he cleared his throat. "Okay. All good."

Nikita turned back around with an apologetic smile and gathered up his drenched clothes in a basket. "We have a sunning room just out back that I'll lay them out in." She hesitated. "Um…What are you?"

"Huh?"

"What are you? Where are you from? I don't see many being that look like you around here. I mean, there are some who look a little like you, but you've got five toes and the closest I've seen was someone with six toes and slitted pupils."

"Oh, um, I'm Terran."

Nikita's white eyebrows rose. "Oh, wow! I've never met a Terran before!"

"And I've never met a…whatever you are," Peter finished lamely.

"I'm Belshovokiansan."

"Whoa, that is a mouthful."

Nikita giggled. Nora slipped through the curtain to pick up a basket of laundry. "Nikita, darling, Peter's clothes aren't going to dry very quickly in that basket, are they?"

"Oops!"

Nikita hurried off and Nora rolled her eyes good-humoredly at Peter. Gesturing with the basket, she said, "Our living area is just behind that door if you wish to wait for her in there."

"Thanks."

Nora nodded and left to present her customer with their clothes. Peter eyed the door warily. Sure, Nora and Nikita had been nice to him so far, but Yondu always reminded him to not trust easily. Glancing back at the beaded curtain and the hallway leading to the sunroom, Peter retrieved his stun gun and removed it from the holster as he approached the door to the living area.

He slowly turned the knob and eased open the door. It creaked open and he peered inside. It was a very plain looking room and completely still. He didn't think there was anyone in there. Cautiously, Peter inched his way inside, keeping his stun gun at ready and on the alert. Just because everything looked normal – well, as normal as a space alien's living room could look he supposed – that didn't mean that it couldn't be a ruse to trap an unsuspecting Terran boy and sell him off for body parts or a museum. After all, that's what at least one or two episodes depicted in most of those science fiction TV shows that Grandpa liked to watch.

"What are you doing?"

Peter most definitely did not let out a girlish scream as he jumped about two feet into the air and whirled around to aim his stun gun at Nikita's face. She flinched back, mostly in reaction to Peter's scream and let out one of her own which resulted in the two if them screaming in terror at each other's faces.

Nora suddenly burst into the room, out of breath after sprinting from the business room of their home to the living quarters. "What in the three moons is going on back here?"

Peter hastily put away his stun gun, hoped he'd been quick enough that Nora hadn't seen it, and held out his hands towards Nikita. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! She startled me!"

"Sounded as if the feeling was mutual," Nora remarked, seeing her daughter place a hand on her chest and attempt to slow her breathing. "I had to leave a customer out front. I need to get back to them –,"

"Go on, Mama. We're fine, just surprised each other, that's all." Her amethyst eyes flicked towards Peter's hidden weapon but nothing else.

"Alright. Nikita, sweetheart, fix some bread for our guest. I'll be joining you both soon."

As soon as Nora was gone, Nikita homed in on Peter. "You have a weapon!" she whispered.

"I'm really very sorry, Nikita! If it makes you feel better, it's only a stun gun!"

"Around here, children are not permitted to bear arms until they are twenty. You could get in big trouble if you're discovered with that."

"Thanks for the heads up…and for not telling your mom about it."

Nikita waved his thanks away as she headed for the kitchen. "You're not from around here, that's obvious, so why should you be held accountable for a law you had no knowledge of?" She looked at him over her shoulder and cocked her head questioningly. "Unless you plan on staying long?"

Peter shook his head. "Only for a few days. My crew is …waiting for someone to show up. Then we'll be out of ya'll's hair."

Nikita's expression dimmed. "Pity. I was hoping for a new friend."

Peter blushed and scratched at the back of his neck. "Real shame."

She grabbed a bowl from a shelf and some a bag of powdery substance that reminder Peter of flour. Gathering a few more ingredients, Nikita set them down on the wooden counter in the kitchen and set to work making bread. "Will you be here long enough to attend the Starfall Festival?"

"What's that?"

"Every year on the night of the Starfall Festival, a shower of shooting stars passes by our planet. There's dancing and feasting and games. It's my favorite night of the year." Her pink cheeks deepened in color. "This year I'm old enough to be asked to attend the dance by a male."

Peter's stomach felt the presence of dozens of butterflies flittering about. "Oh, well, um, has anyone asked you to go yet?"

"No. Not yet."

"Well, um, when's the festival?"

"Two nights from now."

Peter grinned. "I'll still be in town."

Nikita smiled back. "Maybe I'll see you there?"

"If I asked you to go, would you say 'yes'?"

"Yes!" Nikita said too eagerly. She covered her mouth and giggled at herself. She cleared her throat. "Yes," she said, this time calmly.


"He should have been back by now," I said for the umpteenth time. I paced nervously to and fro as Kraglin and Yondu watched. "I mean, it's been like, what – twenty minutes since I got back?" My sweet taste of victory had begun to sour with each passing minute that Peter remained absent from the agreed upon location of the market's center.

"He's probably puttering around in a funk once he realized you beat 'im," Kraglin suggested.

I shook my head. "Peter knows better than that."

"She's right," Yondu agreed. Wow, wonders never cease. "Oh, don't be lookin' at me like that, woman. I ain't made it my life's mission to always be contrary to you." Okay, Yondu was getting too good at reading my expressions. Kinda sexy actually.

"Kraglin, you and Halvi find us some grub for the night, the rest can wait back at the M-ship while Lydia and I look for the boy –,"

"Lydia!"

My head turned with the quickness of a piece of metal towards a magnet at the sound of Peter's voice. I breathed a sigh of relief when he appeared to be alright. There were two females with him, Belshovokiansans from the looks of them, and possibly mother and daughter.

The mother appeared to hesitate when she got a look at the Ravager reds that Yondu and the crew wore. Although the planet was out of the way of most disreputable goings on and people, I'd yet to come across a planet that didn't recognize the flaming crests worn upon the red garbs of a Ravager.

Steeling herself, the mother still approached Yondu along with Peter and her daughter who were talking to each other animatedly. I couldn't help but smile. Peter had made a friend real quick. The mother's amethyst eyes landed on me. "You must be his sister Lydia."

"Yep, that's me." Peter and I had long since agreed to claim relation to each other out in public. It just made things easier.

"My name is Nora Omphitrite. This is my daughter Nikita. I hope you haven't been too worried about Peter."

"Let's just say there was some concern happening," I said with a laugh.

"The girl damn near wore a trench in the ground from all the pacin' she was doin'," Yondu added. Peter winced.

"I would have brought him back to you sooner, but we had to wait for his clothes to dry."

"Dry?" Yondu glanced around at the almost desert-like surroundings. "Boy, where did you go swimmin'?" he asked.

"I fell through a hole in their roof into a clothes washing tub," Peter admitted sheepishly. Yonud barked out a laugh.

"I am so sorry about the damage to your roof," I quickly apologized. "We'll be glad to repair it for you."

"We will?" Yondu hissed at me.

I turned to him. "They didn't have to dry his clothes or bring him back, ya know."

"We're Ravagers, darlin'. Not fix-it men." I continued to stare at him. Yondu rolled his eyes and jutted his chin at two of our team. "Pujeet and Yarov can help ya with that."

"Really?" Nora asked, her eyes hopeful. "Oh, that would be most welcome. My husband works long hours and often times is too tired to do things when he comes home and spends his off days resting."

Yondu gave a curt nod and smile. "No trouble." He eyed me before signaling at Pujeet and Yarov to go with Nora. Yarov rolled his kohl-lined eyes so hard that his body followed the motion as he heaved a put-upon sigh.

Nora clasped her hands together and bowed her head so that her forehead touched her thumbs. "Thank you." Turning, she nodded at Peter. "It was nice to meet you, Peter. We'll see you at the festival. Come along, Nikita."

As soon as the Belshovokiansans were out of earshot, Yondu and I immediately turned to Peter. "What festival?" he asked, one eyebrow lifting with the scowl crawling onto his face.

Peter's face turned red as he scuffed his toe against the dirt. "Oh, um…so, I might have asked a girl to the town festival dance and have no idea how to dance in the first place."

Yondu rubbed his eyelids and groaned. "Boy, we ain't got time to be goin' to no dances –,"s

"Actually," I interrupted.

Yondu froze then lowered his fingers from his eyes as his scowl was directed at me. "Don't you be sayin' actually, Brosh."

I gave him a lighthearted shrug. "Well, I mean, we're stuck here for four days. Might as well have some fun. Or at least let Peter have a chance to."

"An' why's he so special?"

I smirked. "'Cause he asked a girl to go to it." I sidled up to Yondu, lowering my voice. "And he just admitted to not knowing how to dance, which means I get to teach him, which means it'll be embarrassing, which means some fun viewing for you and the crew."

The scowl had slowly melted away to a mischievous grin. "Is that right?"

Did I feel bad for setting Peter up to be embarrassed? Yes. Yes, I did. Was the means justified in order to convince Yondu to let Peter attend the dance? Absolutely.

Looking over my shoulder at Peter, I motioned him towards me. "C'mon, kiddo! Your dancing lessons await!"


"This is dumb," Peter complained as he stood by, slouched into his Ravager jacket, and waiting for Lydia to finish setting up the music. Lydia had made it sound like it was absolutely essential that the M-ship return to the Ecclector for Peter's dance lessons, and for the Tailor to create a festival outfit for him to wear as well. She must have annoyed Yondu enough about it because he actually loaded the crew back onto the M-ship and made the trip back to the ship.

"You're only saying that cause you're embarrassed," she said, poking about the hangar's junction box and tracing some of the wires to see where they went.

Peter glanced around the hanger and noticed that there were several crewmen interspersed about the place. He slouched even further. Greeeeat. Of course, the hangar would be occupied when Lydia was going to teach him to dance. Some of the crew looked as though they had duties they were carrying out, but a good portion of them – namely the ones hanging around the catwalk and openly staring down at him – were obviously there to watch. Kraglin and Yondu were among them.

"Got it!" Lydia declared as she plugged one end of a connector cable into the junction box and the other into her Walkman. "Here goes nothing." She hit play and the hangar was suddenly filled with the opening notes to her favorite song, "Only You" by Yaz.

"I really wish I knew how that girl manages to do that," Yondu muttered tiredly, running a hand over his face in defeat.

Hurrying to an open space, Lydia eagerly urged Peter over. "C'mon, Peter!"

"C'mon, Peter!" one of the crew echoed in a high-pitched, girlish voice. Chuckles broke out among the men but quieted down in order to watch. Peter dragged his feet over to Lydia. This was just like the time his grandpa had told him to dance with his cousin Mavis at a family wedding. Mavis and Peter didn't exactly get along, but Peter begrudgingly did as his grandpa told him. His toes were sore for days after.

"Looking from a window above, it's like a story of love," Lydia sang along, acting silly in order to get Peter to crack a smile and relax. She reached out and tickled his ears. "Can you heeeeear me?"

"Yeeeees," he giggled, batting away her hands while trying to retain his glum demeanor.

Lydia grabbed hold of his hands while keeping herself at arm's length. "Came back only yesterday, I'm moving farther away." Suddenly she pulled on Peter's hand, causing him to spin into her and she wrapped him up in her arms in a big hug while swaying them side to side. "Want you neeeeear me."

"Hey!" Peter broke out of her embrace and there was no mistaking the smile threatening to spread along his face.

"All I needed was the love you gave," Lydia went on, placing a hand over her heart and extending her hand dramatically towards him. He took it and she pulled herself closer until they'd traded places. "All I needed for another day…" Peter caught on and they switched places again. "And all I ever knew…" They both waited a beat then hopped away as they snapped, then pointed both their index fingers at each other. "Only you."

Lydia grinned. "Alright, kid. Let's get started. I looked up some of the popular dances of this planet and found some that are fairly simple to learn. You ready?"

Peter blew out some air and gave an anxious nod. "Yeah. Let's do this."


Yondu watched from the catwalk as Lydia directed Quill through some steps that she promised the boy would not leave him embarrassed at the party. From out of the corner of his eye, he caught Kraglin swaying to the music. "Hey, Cap'n?"

"Yeah?"

"Any chance some of us could go to this party?"

Yondu shrugged, his eyes remaining focused on the two red heads dancing below. "So long as there ain't too many guards patrolling the area, don't see why not."

"You hear that?" one of the Ravager's asked another. "Did the Captain say we could go?"

Kraglin grinned. "In that case, might be a good idea to brush up on my dancin'."

Before Yondu could say another word, Kraglin was already descending the stairs. Seven others followed after him. A bewildered Lydia found herself being asked to teach them the dance. Yondu felt his grip tighten on the railing. They'd watch where they put their hands if they knew what was good for them.

Lydia had the men pair up, but since it was an uneven number, Lydia asked Peter to sit out this one while she paired with Kraglin. Seeing their hands clasped together Yondu felt his jaw clench painfully.

"How come I have to be the girl?" one crewman complained. A few others voiced their shared annoyance.

"Well, boys, in case you haven't noticed, I'm the only girl on this whole ship, soooo," Lydia shrugged. "It is what it is."

Because the crew learning to dance were relying on the beat of "Only You" to learn the steps, Lydia had Peter rewind the music so that the next song's rhythm wouldn't throw them off. A few more crewmen joined the lesson, evening out the numbers and allowing Peter to join in again.

"You should go down there, Captain," Halvi suggested, leaning on the railing next to Yondu.

Yondu lifted a brow at him. "Why?"

Halvi shrugged. "Could come in handy. Learning to dance."

Yondu fully turned his head to look at him. "What makes you think I don't already know how?"

Halvi's eyebrows lifted as high as they could go. "That's…surprising."

Yondu straightened from the railing, hands going to his hips, as he fully faced the darkness dweller. "Why's that?"

"It's just…uh…"

"Hey, Halvi," Lydia called. "Could you come and man the music for us?"

"Bless you, child," Halvi muttered under his breath. "Be right there!" He skirted past Yondu and hurried down the stairs towards Lydia's music box. Yondu glowered as he resumed watching everyone. He knew how to dance. What was so shocking about it? As Stakar once told him, "A man should know how to dance." And nobody was brave enough to make fun of him for knowing how either.

After about an hour, it appeared most of the men had a grasp on the steps and felt confident enough to practice without Lydia's guidance. "What about some slow dancin'?" Kraglin asked suddenly. "If I meet myself a girl at this shindig, I wanna make sure I don't step on 'er toes." The other men voiced their agreement.

Lydia rubbed the back of her neck. "Oh, uh, I hadn't thought about any slow dances," she admitted. "I don't really know any."

"I know one!" Peter pipped up. "It's called a waltz."

"Wanna show me how it goes?" Lydia asked. Peter jumped up from where he'd been sitting cross-legged on the floor and hurried to the front of the group. Once he was standing before her, he hesitated.

"Um…okay. Now, I've only seen this on TV and the movies, but I think I remember how it goes. You put this hand on my shoulder and we hold these hands together…aaaand my other hand goes…. somewhere, um…"

Yondu shook his head and spoke up. "Boy don't know his elbow from his knee, and you want him showin' ya how to slow dance?"

Lydia lifted her gaze to the catwalk. "If you're so knowledgeable, why don't you come down here and show him how it's done?" she challenged.

Grumbling under his breath, Yondu pushed off from the railing and made his way down the stairs. Many of the crew began to whisper to each other in surprise. Lydia and Peter exchanged a glance of disbelief. "Wait, is he really gonna?" Peter asked in a low voice.

"You can all quit yer whisperin'," Yondu barked at the crew. "At least I already knew how to dance, unlike most of you idiots." He approached Lydia and lightly grabbed hold of Peter's shoulder to move him out of the way. "Stand aside, son." Lydia eyed Yondu warily as he extended a hand to her. "Ya gotta come a little bit closer, darlin'."

Lydia looked around at everyone; they were watching intently, eager to see if their captain's claims were true. Slowly, she put her hand in his and he immediately pulled her in, one hand going to the back of her waist. "Follow my lead and keep yer eyes on me."

Before Lydia could even make sense of what was happening, she was being led across the floor in a series of wide, circular movements. When several seconds passed without having her toes stepped on or either of them falling over, Lydia came to a surprising conclusion; Yondu really did know how to dance.

Her surprise was apparently evident on her face. Yondu gave her a toothy grin. "What? You didn't think I could dance?"

"I was under the assumption of that, yes."

"I don't dance. Not can't, but don't."

"Yet here you are."

One corner of Yondu's mouth quirked up, revealing a snaggletooth. "Best way to win a girl over is dancin' with 'er. Stakar taught me that a long time ago."

"The best way? What if the guy is hopeless on his feet?"

Yondu smirked, spinning her into him and holding her there so he could look her in the eye. "Then he's gotta work extra hard to impress 'er in other ways." He spun her back out and they resumed moving about the floor. It didn't escape his attention the giant grin it left on her face. He felt his chest swell a bit with pride knowing that he'd put it there.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Well, it depends on the girl. Ain't no solid answer when it comes to women. Stakar once told me that 'if women were easy to figure out then the galaxy would be a boring place.' He also said, 'women's hearts were made to keep a man on his toes. It's the ultimate safe to crack'."

Lydia laughed. "Sounds awfully romantic for a Ravager, doesn't it?"

"I used to think so, but that was when I had only just met him. After a while, I came to realize it worked for him."

"But not others?"

Yondu's smile dimmed ever so slightly. "…Some men have had their hearts stamped on too much to risk letting it happen again."

Lydia lowered her gaze. "Yeah… I get that."

"Eyes on me, baby girl," Yondu's raspy voice softly instructed. She met his stare and he saw her blush. He smirked and felt emboldened to lower his hand from her waist so that it slid a bit further to the small of her back. A light gasp escaped Lydia's lips which drew his attention to her mouth.

There was one tiny little freckle a bit separated from the others scattered about her face, located just at the right corner of her mouth. It rose every time she smiled. He found himself wanting to kiss that specific freckle. Work his way from it to her mouth, maybe shift his hand even lower and make her gasp again so he could slide his tongue inside and taste the butterscotch candy she'd been favoring lately.

Her shirt wasn't long enough to cover her whole midriff when her arms were lifted like they were now as she danced with him. With his hand resting at the small of her back, his thumb was just touching the edge of her shirt's hemline. He flexed his thumb, hooking it into the fabric and slipped it up until her felt her bare skin. It was too tempting not to let his thumb slowly stroke her and see what sort of reaction he'd get. How'd she try to hide it in front of the crew, just as he was masking his movements to appear natural and subtle.

A slight hitch in her breathing told him she felt his thumb brushing up against her. Her eyes focused intently on his shoulder, not daring to look him in the eye as he continued to sweep his thumb up and down that little patch of flesh. Everything in him wanted nothing more than to haul her off her feet and pull her against him so that instincts would cause her to wrap those legs around him like she'd done that first night.

His thoughts stuttered to a halt when Lydia finally dragged her eyes away from his shoulder and gave him a smile so sweet it damn near broke his heart to look at it. Stars above, baby girl. You don't have a clue what you're doin' to me, do ya, sugar? One moment she could make him horny as hell and then the next she made him want to wrap her up in his arms and make sure she knew that he'd protect her from everything the galaxy threw at her. If he didn't let her know this soon, he was liable to do something incredibly stupid and ruin any chance he had.

When the hell did you get so mushy over a woman?

Let's face it, Yondu, she's got you in the palm of her hand.

Ain't no woman got a hold on me.

But here you are, spinnin' her 'round and 'round in circles.

Stop this before she hurts you again!

I can't.


"Damn. Cap'n wasn't foolin'," Kraglin said as he leaned on a large crate box next to Halvi. Halvi slowly shook his head in response. He was too focused on the dancing duo to give a verbal reply. Was it the dance that required them to be so close to one another or was it…something else?

"Kraglin?"

"Hm?"

"Does the Captain have an interest in Lydia?"

Kraglin tensed up. "Uuuh, hooow do you meeean?" he asked slowly.

"Does the Captain wish to be in an intimate relationship with her?"

"I, uh, I can't rightly answer that. What's shared between me and the Cap'n's confidential." He cleared his throat and changed the topic quickly. "Where do you reckon he learned how to dance like that?"


As the song came to an end, Yondu gave Lydia one final spin which placed her within the circle of his arms. She kept her head ducked, trying to hide the blush on her face from the rest of the crew as they cheered for their captain. Instead of stepping away from her though, Yondu's arm came to rest upon Lydia's shoulders, keeping her close. He wasn't quite ready to let her go just yet but couldn't let it appear to be anything more than him just being too lazy to take his arm off her shoulders.

He switched his attention from Lydia, albeit very reluctantly, to Quill. "Now, son, there's some stuff ya need to keep in mind when you're with this girl yer sweet on."

A few Ravagers made kissy noises. Peter flipped them off. "Peter!" Lydia exclaimed, taking a step towards him, but Yondu reeled her in.

"Rule Number One, boy; don't be lyin' to her. Women can sense it when a man's bein' outright dishonest. It's like they can smell it. Unfortunately for us men folk, we ain't so intuitive when we're bein' lied to. 'Specially when it's a pretty girl." He poked Lydia in the ribs. "Ain't that right, princess?"

Lydia's lips thinned into an unamused line at the reminder but kept silent.

"That brings me to Rule Number Two, don't go treatin' her like she's some princess." He plowed on before Lydia could open her mouth to argue with his advice. "When you're just startin' out, you should treat her like she's your best friend." Yondu switched his gaze to Lydia, cocking an eyebrow at her as if to ask, "Got anything to say to that?" She 'tsked' at him but was unable to disagree.

Horuz, who'd remained up on the catwalk, gave a chuff of laughter. "Stakar always said that when he'd talk about how he courted Aleta."

Yondu turned a sly grin up towards him. "Worked good for him, figured there's something to 'is words." His crimson eyes went back to Peter. "And finally, boy, don't screw it up."

Lydia scoffed a laugh. "Yeah, no pressure," she said sardonically.


Two Days Later

Every night leading up to the festival, Lydia helped Peter and some willing to learn crewmen with their dancing for at least two hours. Not wanting to draw attention to themselves at the festival, most of the crew who opted to attend chose to wear clothing that didn't proclaim their Ravager status. Yondu stubbornly refused to wear anything else. "You're gonna arrange it so that you die in Ravager red, aren't you?" Lydia joked as they disembarked from the M-ship back onto the planet.

"Absolutely," he answered with a smirk.

The Tailor had put together a dark blue suit jacket for Peter that the boy claimed made his elbows itch, but Lydia absolutely put her foot down that he would wear something nice at the festival and not his normal threads. As for Lydia, well, Yondu wasn't about to complain about what the Tailor had delved out for her. It was a pretty silver creation, sleeveless, with a decent view of her cleavage – though a bit more modest than Yondu would have opted for in private, and a functional slit that came to her knee at the side of the skirt. During some of her spare time, she'd even crafted two silver-colored hairclips in the shape of stars to gather up her long hair into an updo with stray stands of red hair to frame her face. She decided to forgo having braids this time and Yondu couldn't recall ever seeing her without at least one or two.

The sun was just beginning to set as they entered the square where the festivities would take place. The town was decked out in silver, gold, blue, black, and white decorations. Lights in the shape of stars were strung overhead across the open walkways from one building to the next. Silvery streamers were hung everywhere you looked. The town fountain's waterspouts reflected the glittering spectacles, transforming the water into liquid starlight. Children dashed past with little sticks that spewed silver sparks, people carrying covered dishes made their way past crowds to the large rectangular tables set off to the far corner of the dancing area.

"It's purty-lookin'," Kraglin admitted, his gaze zipping here and there at the sights. Feminine giggles grabbed his attention. Beneath a pergola with stringed lights and vines weaved through its eaves, a group of pretty females had gathered and were looking the crew up and down as they whispered and giggled with one another. Kraglin slapped Yondu on the back. "Thanks, Cap'n." Off he went towards the girls, his attention focused on a dark-skinned, blue-haired one. The rest of the crew dispersed almost in the same fashion until it was just Yondu, Lydia and Peter.

The boy stood up on his toes as he peered around for a glimpse of white hair and purple stripes. Without asking, he darted towards the fountain and stood on the lip, scanning the crowd. "The kid's coiled tighter than spring," Yondu muttered.

Lydia laughed. "The poor boy's nervous. Can you blame him?"

She missed the brief once-over Yondu gave her before his attention returned to Quill. "Nah, reckon not."

"Peter!" a girl's voice called. Quill's face broke into a grin as he hopped off the fountain and disappeared into the crowd.

"Lost 'im again," Lydia sighed.

"Least we know where he's at this time." Yondu inclined his head towards the dance floor which was located beneath a giant pergola similarly decorated like the smaller one. Lydia caught sight of Nikita leading Peter onto the floor for a dance and Peter looking anxiously around for her and Yondu.

Lydia chuckled. "Maybe we should hang around the dance floor just in case."

Yondu shrugged, feigning disinterest, but didn't hesitate to place a hand at the small of her back as he guided her towards the floor. There was a small flinch from her, but she didn't pull away, nor did she try to outpace him. She kept her strides even with his so that his fingers never lost contact with her. A tiny smirk curled his lips for a moment.

The music was already underway with a lively beat. The dance involved clapping in time and small jumps, as if the people's feet and hands were to take place of the rhythm of drums.

"Ahoo,
Stars are falling, are we falling too?
Ahoo,
Dawn is coming, what's this coming to?
On a night like this
On a night like this."

"Peter seems to have gotten the hang of this dance pretty quickly," Lydia remarked, watching the boy jump around with Nikita and other children around their age.

Yondu grunted. "Ain't much to it to get."

Lydia gave him a pointed look. "Don't you dare be grouchy the whole time we're here," she warned.

Yondu scoffed. "Who's grouchy?"

"You are, ya big blue borga. I didn't get dressed up to hang around your moody self all night."

"Then go hang out with someone else. I didn't ask ya to stand here with me," Yondu grumped.

Lydia looked as if she'd been slapped. "…Okay then." She took one step away and Yondu's hand latched onto her wrist as quick as lightning.

"Wait," he murmured. "Don't go." She tentatively looked back at him. He gestured helplessly at their surroundings. "I'm hopeless at these kinds of things. Don't know how to act right." Gently, he tugged on her arm until their bodies were just a hairsbreadth from touching one another. "Stay…please."

Lydia looked at him for a long time before a soft smile touched her mouth. "Well, since you asked so nicely."

Yondu gave a toothy grin and placed his hands on her hips to turn her around so that her back pressed against his chest and he kept her there with his arm around her waist. Lydia appeared temporarily stunned, but then her body began to relax within his hold and even leaned back. Yondu let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. This felt right. This felt so, so right.

"Wanna dance?" he asked suddenly and nearly kicked himself. Yondu could dance, but he wasn't a dancer. He wasn't some fancy foot worker; he knew just enough to get by. But thank the stars for his sweet girl. She looked out at the dancing crowd, laid a hand on the arm wrapped around her waist, gave it a squeeze, then leaned even closer into him.

She titled her head around to glance at him and smiled. "Nah. Maybe later."

Yondu didn't believe in the phrase 'butterflies in the stomach' but sweet merciful galaxies, something erupted in his stomach and set his nether regions a tingling.

They stayed like that for the next three songs, just being close to one another and watching Peter and even a few other crewmen dance with their partners. Yondu found himself subtly swaying in time with the music and Lydia's pliant body following his movements. "Peter's going to be a mopey little boy when we have to leave this place," Lydia informed him.

"Shouldn't have gotten so attached," Yondu argued.

"Some things you just can't help," she countered.

Yondu lowered his lips to brush against her ear as he whispered huskily, "Don't I know it." He felt her shiver. Her hand squeeze on his arm. He let his thumb stroke the plain of her clothed stomach and her fingers dug into his sleeve.

"Yondu…"

"Darlin'?" he murmured so low that it was nearly a growl. She felt the rumble from within his chest and her knees almost buckled.

The music changed to a slower paced song and Lydia, on instinct, glanced over at Peter. Nikita had a grin that took up her entire face, but Peter's was tinged with anxious worry. His eyes darted over to Lydia and widened in a wordless plea. Help me! I can't remember what to do! A quick bark of laughter escaped from her and broke the spell she'd been under with Yondu. From behind her, she felt him straighten.

"Look at him," she said, still chuckling as she jutted her chin in Peter's direction.

Yondu chuffed a laugh. "Boy looks liable to turn tail and run."

"What do you say we help him refresh his memory?"

Yondu's arms unwrapped from their hold on her waist and held out a hand. "Can't let Quill shame me, can I?"

"You have no shame," Lydia laughed, taking the proffered hand.

Yondu tilted his head this way and that as if considering her words. "Mmh. Duhbatabuh," he replied. Lydia's eyes widened. A sly grin slid along Yondu's mouth, and the tip of his tongue poked out as he held back a chuckle and gave her a spin onto the dance floor.

"So, you did understand what I was saying!" Lydia hissed at him, though her mirth was ruining the affronted expression she was trying to convey.

Yondu's hand went to her waist and hand as he took the lead. "I figured it was somethin' along those lines." He looked over at Quill to find the boy was making furtive glances their way and following Yondu's example.

Lydia lifted her eyes up to the pergola's eaves as she shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

She'd given him the perfect opportunity to broach the subject. The cautious, mistrusting side of him screamed not to go any further, but there was another side to him that had been growing since Lydia arrived in his life and that one was elbowing him incessantly to keep going. Fingers gently took her by the chin and lowered her gaze back to him. "That's what I've been askin' myself about you lately."

She eyed him carefully. "Sir?"

"Darlin', we been dancin' around this too long," he said, his voice going husky again as he pulled her in to him. She blushed and ducked her head but didn't try to stop him. "Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

There was a pause but then she nodded. A tremulous sigh escaped her. "Yeah," she whispered.

"You said…you said once before that you liked me, and I may be reading too much into it, but I keep thinking you put some emphasis on the words, 'a lot'. Did I imagine that?"

She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the floor. Yondu titled her chin up with the tip of his finger. "Eyes on me, babygirl."

Lydia was trembling at this point, not knowing what to expect. He moved his index finger from beneath her chin to stroke the side of her jaw. His arm went around her waist and pulled her in even closer, their eyes fixed on one another.

"Look!" someone cried out. "The stars!"

All heads turned up towards the night sky as showers of silver and white starlight streaked across the black expanse. They left trails that glittered like diamonds. On and on it went, falling star after falling star until nearly the whole sky was shimmering with light. It was breathtaking. Lydia gasped in delight. Yondu felt his breathing hitch at the sight of open wonder on her face. He gently guided her face back to him. "Lydia…baby, I –,"

"Cap'n!"

Yondu clenched his jaw so hard his teeth ached. Of all times –

"Cap'n!" Kraglin's voice called in his ear via the comms-link.

"What do you want?" Yondu hissed.

"The bounty poster's here early! I just ran into him at the food tables. He wants his mark now and he'll pay us double for the change in plans."

Lydia looked down as Yondu turned away, not yet relinquishing his hold on her, and bared his teeth in frustration as he pressed a finger to his ear. "Does he want the mark right this second?"

"He's mighty antsy to be on his way, Cap'n."

Yondu released a sigh that spoke of all the pent-up exasperation and disappointment clinging to him over having such a moment ruined. He wasn't ever going to get this moment back. He wasn't a man that easily expressed his feelings. He'd never find a way to broach the subject like this with Lydia again.

Lydia's hand hesitantly touched him on the shoulder. He turned to her. "We can still talk later," she assured him.

Yeah, but would he be able to? The two waring sides of him were constantly in turmoil since he'd acknowledged his growing feelings for Lydia. The part of him that wanted to get ride of her before he hurt himself again was sometimes stronger than the side that wanted to kiss her senseless.

"Yeah, darlin'. We'll talk later."

Much later.

Shuddap!

She's makin' ya weak!

I said shuddap!


We didn't talk about it again. Not that night, and not the next night either. But there was a change in our interactions. Touches he gave me when the crew wasn't looking that caused fluttering in my stomach. Winks and smiles that carried heat and made my insides feel like warm liquid. Calling me 'baby girl' more often, but always in private. It was like a light went on in my head.

Yondu may have had difficulty telling me, but he had no issue with showing me what he was trying to say. So, I let his actions speak for him for the next few days. And I had to admit, I liked what I was hearing. Was I nervous about going forward? Definitely. But was I willing to take a peek at what it might entail? Maybe.

I'd spent so long holding myself at a distance from any kind of relationship intimacy, partly due to protecting myself and mostly to do with my lack of sexual education, but with Yondu…I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, he was willing to protect me as much as I'd been trying to protect myself.

(As you may have figured out, this is a slow burn fic. And trust me…the fire hasn't been lit yet, oh no, no, no. Drama and heartbreak runs rampant in the next upcoming chapter. Hope you enjoyed that.

Until next time, Dear Readers!)